116. International Diplomacy (1)
However, unfortunately, the problems Bahamut had to address weren't limited to Lee Hyun-ah's rampage.
Currently, the Balhut Cult was at war not only with the Immortal Cult clashing at Ulsan Airport but also with the ghost fleet appearing in the East Sea, and Bahamut and Yu-na were overseeing both fronts.
If he had to name the most critical one among them...
Ulsan Airport. We have no path to Busan except across the sea, and the Immortal Cult is right next door.
It was the Ulsan front, where faction clashed directly against faction in this apocalypse.
The moment the Ulsan front fell, not only all of Ulsan but also nearby Busan would fall into the Immortal Cult's grasp.
Considering the sheer scale of those two massive cities alone, it was an overwhelmingly daunting matchup for the Balhut Cult—which was why they had to stifle the Immortal Cult's growth before it could swell further.
Jeong Dong-gun is handling it well. If he just maintains this stalemate, we can counterattack come spring.
For the Immortal Cult front—which could be seen as a battle between major factions—Bahamut had dispatched his trusted commander, Jeong Dong-gun. And Jeong wasn't fighting alone; he had solid allies too.
Especially since the Balhut Cult had resolved a long-standing issue for their ally at Ulsan Airport, the coalition's bonds and trust were now rock-solid. Even without heavy involvement from Bahamut, the Ulsan front wouldn't buckle easily.
The problem was...
"How fares the East Sea?"
Baek Seol-hwa's front—the East Sea front—was the issue.
In truth, the fighting itself was a string of consecutive victories thanks to Seol-hwa's prowess. Unlike the defensive Immortal Cult front, the East Sea front, led directly by the Dragon Priestess, had crushed the ghost fleet with Baek Seol-hwa and Turn Undead as their overwhelming counter. The ghost fleet was fleeing the Pohang fleet nonstop.
Yes, from the ghost fleet's perspective, they had to avoid decisive fleet battles at all costs and keep running.
"We're not securing any decisive victories. The ghost fleet is clearly under someone's control."
They were racking up wins, but the lack of decisive blows stung the most.
The ghost fleet persisted with erratic guerrilla tactics—ambushing the Pohang fleet or threatening the Balhut Cult's shipping lanes—responding with thorough hit-and-run strategies.
To be precise, they menaced fishing boats out at sea or container ships on trade routes to test reactions, then bolted the moment the Pohang fleet deployed.
The enemy was avoiding fleet battles while piling up economic damage.
"A high-ranking undead familiar with human society is possible, but the real issue is we've never spotted one that advanced."
In other words, the foe understood human society intimately—enough to target the Balhut Cult's sore spots with intelligence.
Bahamut first speculated on a high-ranking undead versed in human ways, but there was no sighting intel.
Something that intelligent should have sparked reports elsewhere on the peninsula, yet no Korean community posts mentioned smart zombies.
Or maybe it wiped out witnesses entirely. Low odds, though.
He even considered worst-case scenarios, but if internet users in sizable survivor camps vanished overnight, word would spread like wildfire.
So rather than assuming a high-ranking undead had appeared, Bahamut leaned toward...
"The ghost fleet's manipulator is likely affiliated with the Immortal Cult."
He inferred the ghost fleet might actually belong to the Immortal Cult.
This had solid basis. The Immortal Cult could already control zombies, raise buried corpses as skeletons, and produce undead themselves. Now they commanded an undead horde numbering hundreds of thousands against the coalition.
If this was the Immortal Cult's guerrilla op to block the Pohang fleet from joining the coalition, it plausibly explained the ghost fleet's antics.
"No. That's not feasible."
Baek Seol-hwa immediately suggested abandoning ghost fleet engagements to join the Ulsan coalition, but Bahamut rejected it.
The reason was simple.
"We can't abandon East Sea trade with America. Ceding it means forfeiting all the economic gains we've reaped so far. The Balhut Cult thrives on civilian competition and endless war supplies thanks to America's massive shipments bought with Bahamut coins—and Texas oil."
The East Sea was Balhut Cult territory. Beyond fishing yields, the flood of container ships from America to Pohang ensured ample supplies and fuel.
Cut that trade, and naval fuel becomes a worry overnight. Defending the ghost fleet secured supplies for the frontline coalition too.
"Of course, if a decisive fleet battle wipes them out, we could join. But..."
"Impossible. They need to want to fight for a decisive battle, and they have zero interest."
Above all, the enemy had no intention of engaging.
With pure guerrilla play and no fleet battle appetite, they were a royal pain.
But despite their massive forces, the Ulsan stalemate... Maybe they're as scared of me as I am of my own kind? Or terrified of Seol-hwa?
Perhaps the foe dreaded Baek Seol-hwa's Turn Undead and shunned direct clashes.
Odd for undead to feel fear, but their living necromancer controller might quake at her power.
"Ultimately, we must secure East Sea supremacy until the weather clears. Ghost fleet annoyances or not, we endure."
The East Sea belonged to the Balhut Cult. Baek Seol-hwa bowed to Dragon God Bahamut's decree, vowing its fulfillment.
"My apologies. You're suffering needlessly."
"I... see. Then... keep at it."
The ending felt off, but it couldn't be helped. Ushering a paradise for easy living was Baek Seol-hwa's reason to fight.
And resolving East Sea issues meant involving allies too. Yes, mending ties with America fell to Dragon God Bahamut as well.
"Again?"
"Yes. We need more."
This one posed no issue. Special envoy Steven himself favored Bahamut and grasped the potential of Bahamut coins.
Plus, Bahamut had tipped him off about new developments using incoming American minerals, so Steven brimmed with anticipation.
But that was Steven's personal take. As America's envoy, he demanded alliance value from the Balhut Cult.
Yes, now the strategic weapon—Bahamut coins—were in demand again.
Not a bad deal, really. One snap, and boom—prosperity rolls in.
With ample supplies and Texas oil incoming, it benefited both sides. The Cult could roll out armored units from Marine stockpiles, while American goods enriched civilian economies.
Bourgeois awakeners raked in fortunes, guilds guarded interests, and civilian booms ensued. Gyeongju and Pohang rebuilt anew, sparking construction surges too.
"A month ago, it was reasonable. Lately, demands have spiked. Any reason?"
"Simple—demand outstrips supply. Standard economic shift, no?"
Bahamut probed the reason for America's coin hunger, and Steven shrugged it off as surging demand.
Too many U.S. awakeners craved them, so America pressed for more. Steven called it routine policy evolution.
"I... see?"
"Yes. The world pivots to awakener-centric economies. Normals linger now, but soon it'll be mana-talented awakeners dominating society."
"Can't argue that."
The Balhut Cult already developed methods to awaken normals artificially for the fight. In that near future Steven described, old policies would yield to awakener-suited ones—since they spent and consumed most.
"My coins are that popular?"
"Huge hit. Can't keep 'em stocked—perfect for our awakeners. Even our potbellied brass collect dated ones for the 'Dragon God-made' lore."
"Th-that much?"
Bahamut coins' appeal to awakeners was sky-high, especially meltable into mighty weapons. The Cult turned them into Bahamut Bullets—disposable one-shots. Research labs now forged new arms from them too.
"You melt them into weapons too?"
"Some do, like your Cult. Actually... we've succeeded in Bahamut coin tech ourselves."
America followed suit. Safe urban firepower was vital, especially with political bans on missiles or drones. City reclamation demanded street-level arms, and Bahamut Bullets fit perfectly. They'd innovated from the coins and recently fruited.
"Oh? Congratulations. What tech?"
Bahamut feigned genuine surprise, probing personally.
"Haha, honored by Dragon God's cheers. It's tech you'd know, so I'll be frank."
I had no clue.
Steven took it as flattery, claiming it was obvious to Bahamut, and promised candor. Bahamut inwardly admitted ignorance but played cool.
Admitting cluelessness outright felt awkward.
"Weapon enhancement."
What? That sounds ominously familiar.
To Koreans, it evoked trauma. Oof, my hand... Ah, wrong memory?